Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — Earth Day is an annual event celebrated worldwide followed by different environmental sustainability initiatives. Various events are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection in the world. Accordingly, Economic Cities Authority (ECA) Oversight supported in designing various environmental protection initiatives and shared with Emaar Economic City Management team for collaboration to promote environmental protection & awareness within community and schoolchildren with a special focus on this year’s theme of “End Plastic Pollution”.

ECA in its endeavor to promote sustainability in line with Kingdom Vision 2030 and to build resilient and sustainable societies to preserve environment and natural resources, a number of KAEC designed green initiatives were launched that include nomination of “Eco Ambassadors- from among King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) resident families providing the basic resources for waste segregation, conducting competitions for school children and recognizing a monthly recycling champion with maximum contribution to waste recycling and making creative art from the waste material.

As a part of promoting environmental awareness, ECA Oversight developed and published digital awareness presentation and bilingual one-page leaflets in English and Arabic. The publication was sent to all ECA and EEC employees, industrial entities, and KAEC residents. ECA Oversight conducted series of awareness sessions in collaboration with EEC City Management on importance of waste recycling for the community and TWA schoolchildren.

The most unique designed initiative of KAEC, for the first time in the Kingdom, is go live for “Recycling of used Cooking Oil” at home in KAEC. ECA in cooperation with EEC and CIT provided waste cooking oil container for each household in KAEC to support ECA initiative and encourage the practice of appropriate recycle/disposal of waste cooking oil.

A recognition ceremony and exhibition of the creative art from waste material was organized for the community in EEC building.

Ali Al-Assiri, director general ECA Oversight, in his opening remarks in the ceremony, stressed on the ECA keenness for environment sustainability and preserving resources for future.

He reminded that ECA is working to ensure deploying the latest and innovative practices throughout city development process starting from urban planning through efficient city operation. ECA stressed that KAEC shall be positioned in leading role-model city in Kingdom, when it comes to environmental practices.

He also lauded the successful launching of ECA designed household used cooking oil recycle initiative and thanked all involved organizations for their contributions and congratulated them for participation in all these activities.

He expressed hope that due to these initiatives, KAEC will benefit from reducing, reusing and recycling the waste and ultimately help in environment protection and sustainability.

To demonstrate the support, on behalf of ECA an appreciation certificate was also presented to EEC City Management by Al-Assiri. Various winners of the competitions were also recognized by providing appreciation certificates.